Dawn
by ilovenutella99
Summary: AU: The Capitol has turned on the Districts. No one is safe from the terror that the Capitol brings. Nowhere is safe. A group of less then fifteen people must lead the Resistance and make everything right again in Panem. They must work together despite their major differences and become one. Gale POV.
1. Bombs

**Disclaimer: This is not a happy story.**

* * *

The lights flicker as soon as I sit down on our old ratty couch with my beer, and they flip off soon after. I groan and throw my head back.

"Don't worry guys, just a power outage." I sigh, standing from the couch to strike a match against the counter before lighting the few candles we have scattered around our house.

Rory, back on his break from the college he got a full-ride to on a baseball scholarship, heaves a sigh before taking one more swig of his beer. "Well if the lights are out, I'm turning in. Care to join me little brother?" He snorts, clapping Vick on the back of the head. Vick shoves Rory and he chortles before climbing slowly up the rickety stairs of our house.

Eventually, Vick hits the hay and then it's just me and Posy, my fourteen year old sister. "Gale?" She asks, and I nod my head, "when are you gonna have to go back?"

I shrug and set my beer on the table. "Not sure, Pose. Whenever they want me to go back." I'm in the military.

Just then, the door snaps open. "Roads are a mess out there," my mother and father rush through the door, dropping their keys on the kitchen counter. My father is the police Sergeant in our small town, the Seam, and my mother works as a waitress at a favorite cafe in the old part of town. We never have been the best off family, but we get by well enough. Despite my father being the police head, the Seam doesn't pay too well.

"Gotta go do blackout patrol," my father tells my mother, kissing her on the cheek before rushing back out the door.

My mother sighs. "Mom, do I still have to do my homework?"

"Yes, Posy, you still have to do your homework." My sister goes to protest, but my mother taps her foot. "Good girl."

"Hey, Ma, I'm home. Just thought you should know." I tease, and my mother gives me an exasperated smile but gives me a tight hug.

She sits on the couch next to me and gives me a warm smile. "How are you feeling?"

"Exhausted," I sigh, laughing tiredly, "first night back and this happens."

My mother smiles at me, "well, then rest up. I hear Posy wants you to take her to school tomorrow." I snort.

This morning, I got off my six-year tour, and I couldn't be happier. I like serving Panem, but a lot of the time I want to be home with my family. I enlisted when I was 20, and I've definitely grown in those six years. I've seen things that people shouldn't see, but thank God my family still likes me.

"Ma, I think I'm gonna crash. I haven't gotten a good night sleep in six years." My mother chuckles, and then kisses my forehead like I'm a small child again.

"I'm glad you're alright, Gale. We're very proud of you." I smile at my mother and climb the stairs to the very, very small guest room that only a bed can fit in too. My sister moved into my old room when I left, but I'm alright with that. We needed the space.

I collapse into the bed and I'm immediately passed out.

* * *

The morning starts off normally enough. I wake and go downstairs to grab a bowl of some sugary cereal that Posy likes, and devour that. I take her to school in my old beat up truck that I've missed and then drop her off. Vick, who just left high school and is taking a couple years break from school, naps until ten, and Rory goes out with his girlfriend, Primrose Everdeen.

After I drop Posy off, I head to my best friends house. "Gale!" Katniss screeches, giving me a great big hug. I laugh but return the hug. "When did you get back?"

"Yesterday," I respond, as I follow her into the house. Katniss and I were childhood friends up until my senior year of high school, when we had a fallout after I told her I loved her. She didn't feel the same way, and we didn't talk again until eight months later, after I decided I wanted to join the military. I couldn't enlist until I was twenty, so I went through two years of training. I don't love Katniss anymore in that way, but I do love her like she's my sister. Because we were friends throughout our lives, we hung around together a lot, and of course it's only normal for my brother and her sister to start dating. "I would've called, but I passed out."

Katniss laughs. "No worries at all. I was busy."

"With?"

Her cheeks turn pink, which is surprising for her, as someone tromps down the stairs. "Katniss, do you have any—" He pauses when he sees me. "Oh. I didn't realize someone was over." Katniss' face is practically on fire.

"Peeta, this is Gale. Gale, this is Peeta. My boyfriend." I force a smile and stand to shake the guys hand. He's shorter and stockier, with blond hair and blue eyes. He must be from Town, that's my only explanation.

"Gale," the guy gives me a warm smile. "I've heard a lot about you."

"Is that good?" I ask and Peeta laughs. I don't like him. He seems too cheery, not someone I would think Katniss would go for.

Peeta smiles, "yes it is." He pauses when he realizes we were in the middle of something. "I'll, I'll just go upstairs and wait."

"Tell Madge I'll be up there in a little."

I sit back down and sigh. "How's your mom?" Katniss' dad died in an engineering accident five years ago, and her mom checked out completely.

Katniss shrugs. "She's alright. She works at the cafe with your mom, and she tries to act alright, but I know she's not." Katniss resents her mother checking out. Almost hates her. "She's gotten better over the years, but it's still..."

"I know." I murmur, rubbing my stubble. "I wish I could've been here during that time. To help you guys get through it."

"We're holding up. Peeta... he's helped a lot. He's made things better."

"He live here?"

Her cheeks burn a little bit. "Nah. He lives in Town, with our friend Madge. His parents died in a fire when he was ten and Madge's parents kinda took him in. They're basically siblings."

"Madge?"

"Madge Undersee."

My jaw falls a little. "Undersee, as in, Mayor Undersee?"

Katniss nods and rolls her eyes. "I know what you're thinking, Gale. That Madge is some stuck-up rich girl that has no right being here." I grunt, that's exactly what I think. "She's not bad at all, Gale. She's really nice and sweet, and just a great person. Give her a chance."

I start to say something when she hands me a biscuit. "Eat it. It'll make you happy." I squint at it.

"How the hell is a biscuit supposed to make me happy?"

"Just listen to me." She scowls, throwing her braid over her shoulder. I roll my eyes and take a nibble of the biscuit. I'm blown away by how good it is.

I devour the rest of it in seconds. "Holy shit. That's good. Who made them?"

"Peeta." Even the fact that Dough Boy made them, that isn't enough to make me upset. This is a good biscuit. Someone else pads down the stairs. Undersee. She swallows thickly when she sees I'm there.

"Gale." Undersee says politely.

I grunt, "Undersee." Katniss kicks me under the table as Madge moves to the old fridge and grabs the small carton of orange juice and pours herself a glass. I'll admit, now that she's a few years out of high school, she's pretty attractive. Not that she wasn't in high school, she's just grown into a much more attractive woman. Katniss kicks me again.

"Stop ogling her."

"I'm not," I chuckle, watching as she makes her way back upstairs.

My best friend rolls her eyes. "You completely were."

I shake my head again and stand. "I probably should be getting home. Pretty sure the powers still out."

"My lights are still on." Almost as soon as those words leave her mouth, the power flicks off. I give her a look. "Ha ha, funny. Get out of my house, Hawthorne."

A laugh falls from my mouth and I leave quickly, getting in my old truck and calling Pa. "Hey, do I need to get Posy? Power's out again."

My dad sounds frantic. "Yes, get Posy. Keep her in the house. Call Rory and find where he is. Get him home. Do you understand?"

My brows furrow. "Yeah, Pa, what's going on?"

He sighs. "We're not sure. But something is. Just... get your siblings home."

I tell my father goodbye and quickly drive to Posy's school, where all of the kids are waiting outside for someone to pick them up. Posy sees my truck, tells her instructor and then hurries into the car. "Here, Pose, call Rory. Find out where he is. Tell him to get home."

Posy does as I ask and then when she's assured me that Rory's on his way home, she asks me a billion questions. "Why does the power keep going out?"

I shrug and turn on my blinker quickly. "Not sure, Posy. Pa didn't seem to know either."

"My teachers didn't give me any homework for tonight because of the power outage. They don't even know if it'll be back on."

"I hope it is."

As soon as we pull up in front of our house, I see the planes fly overheard. At first, I think that it's just a couple planes flying in from the Capitol with shipments, because I see the Capitol embellishment on the side of the planes. We hurry into the house and I find both Vick and Rory mesmerized by the news.

"Gale!"

Those planes are definitely not bringing in shipments. They're dropping bombs. "Holy fuck," I push them all aside, "get a bag. Fill it with food and water. Get in the car." My three siblings scramble around the house while I pound down the stairs to the basement to the gun cell. I grab a couple and load a couple of the shotguns before grabbing my own bag.

When I reemerge from the basement, the ground is shaking. "Guys! We gotta go!"

Just as we're sprinting outside and I'm throwing the bags into the cab, a bomb drops on a house down our street. "Get in!" I yell and my siblings cram into the cab, Rory in the front and Posy and Vick in the back. I turn on the truck and slam my foot on the gas. "We gotta find Ma and Pa!"

Posy's crying in the back seat and Vick holds tight to her as I drive like a madman through the streets littered with debris. I pull up to Katniss' house and Rory's able to get their attention through the window. "Get in!" Mellark shoves Katniss and Undersee into the cab of the truck and then climbs in the bed, laying down. "Where's Prim?"

"I thought she was with you!" Katniss tells him, fear taking over her face.

"We'll find her! But now we just have to go." I speed off and check the rear view window to find Mellark holding on for dear life. Another bomb drops and I have to swerve to avoid the blast. "Get down!" I bellow, and everyone in the truck ducks their heads.

We're scrambling to get to wherever my parents are. I find my mother first, getting everyone on the streets into the cafe. There's no one else out there, besides a couple of police men "Ma!"

Rory falls out of the cab and jumps into the bed of the truck to allow my mother to get in. My father, thankfully, is just around the corner. "Ian!" My mother yells and he turns, letting out a sigh.

"I'll catch up! Go to the lake house! Hurry!"

I allow my parents to say their goodbyes quickly, and find my mother is crying. That sends a bullet through my heart. The next time I turn around, there's three more people in the back, and Posy's in Undersee's lap, burying her face in her shoulder.

"Gale, keep these people safe." My father yells at me, before having to duck behind an overturned car. "Now go!"

I want to say that we made it all the way to the lake house without any problems. But, boy, that would be the biggest lie I've ever told.

We make it around twenty meters before Katniss starts screaming. "Prim!" I slam my foot on the brakes when I see Rory jump out of the truck bed. He doesn't make it very far until a man in a white, hard looking uniform steps up and points a gun at his head.

"Dammit, Rory! Get in the car!"

Rory stands, conflicted for a moment because he can see his girlfriend standing with a group of other people behind a line of these men in uniforms, and because he doesn't want to die.

The guy in the uniform cocks the gun, and then Rory runs back, hops in the truck, and we speed away. I can almost hear him screaming at Prim from in here.

I don't know much about what's going on. But I do know this: the Capitol is behind it. And we're in grave danger.

* * *

_A/N: New story time! I'm really excited about this story, I've wanted to write it for a while. I have this entire story planned out, and I'm really excited for it. Yay. Anyways, here's some things you should know before we get really into it: _

_1.) This is not going to be a very happy story. It will have it's moments, but it won't be fantastic. _

_2.) Ages: Gale is 26, Madge, Katniss, and Peeta are 24. Rory is 20, and Prim is 19. Vick's 18. Posy's 13. Delly, her brother who I've deemed Fleet, and Brutus (one of Peeta's friends) are in the back of Gale's truck._

_3.) This story is on the line between Teen and Mature rating, mostly for the violence and language that's going to be expressed in later chapters. If you don't feel comfortable with some of this, let me know and I'll see what I can do about it._

_Again, I'm really excited for this story and I want to know what y'all think! I hope y'all like it as much as I do, because it might be my favorite plot I've thought of yet. _


	2. Dead

The cab of the truck is silent as we drive out of town. Fires rage all around town and soldiers fly from the airplanes. I drive over the bumps of the old road to Grandpa's old lake house.

Finally, I pull up and everyone piles out of the truck. "Rory," I bark, "Vick. C'mere."

My brothers quickly hurry over to me after checking that everyone's alright. "I need you two to check the house, make sure everything's safe. Get all of the guns out of the safe and distribute them. I don't know what's going on, but we need to be prepared." Rory and Vick, knowing not to argue with me, hurry into the small house. I go back towards the group and look over the small group of stragglers that somehow got here. I pull Katniss aside.

"What the hell is going on?"

My best friend shrugs and looks back towards everyone. "I have no clue, Gale. It happened all of the sudden. No one on our street knew what was going on."

"We didn't either. My dad just said to get out of there." Katniss nods and moves back towards the group. "Everyone, let's get inside."

"Hold up," Undersee starts and I groan and roll my eyes, "my parents are still down there. I'm not just leaving them there. I have to go back."

One of the other girls, one I recognize as one of Katniss' friends sighs. "Madge, I... your parents aren't down there. I, we... we saw the bomb drop onto your house. I'm sorry."

Undersee swallows thickly, and then nods, looking down at her feet and wringing her hands. Dough Boy gives her a tight hug as Rory and Vick come back out.

"Gale." I turn and talk to Rory as the group files into the small house, "everything's alright for now. The gun's are still in the safe, but it's unlocked in case we need it." I nod my thanks and they help me unload the few bags we have in the car. Vick hurries inside as my mother comes back onto the porch. "Gale, we have to go back. We have to get Prim."

I sigh, "Rory, you know it's dangerous. We'll get her. I promise." Rory still looks nervous. "Look. As soon as we figure this out, we'll go and get her. Alright?" My brother finally nods and then slowly hurries into the house. I lock my jaw and go into the small cabin. Everyone's sitting around in silence. Katniss and Dough Boy are looking out the window, talking quietly to one another. Rory and Vick are looking over the kitchen and what food we have. Undersee and the other two here are sitting on the couch in the far corner. Posy and my mother are looking outside.

My mother finally speaks up and takes over, "because we don't know what's going on, I say we stay here as long as we can and see what happens." Everyone in the room nods to her words and she looks at her watch, "I guess we can just stay here until bedtime, and then settle down."

Rory and I spend the rest of the afternoon looking through everything we have that could help us. We hide most of it in the few bags we have just in case we have to get on the move. When dusk falls, my mom pulls out some of the blankets from the hall closet and distributes them to everyone. "We'll take watch in shifts." I grunt, and Rory stands up quickly.

"I'll go with you, Gale." I nod and he hurries out of the house.

"I'll take it next, with Vick." Katniss tells me and I nod and follow Rory. About ten minutes later, the lights go out in the living room where everyone is staying and it's just me, Rory, and the crickets.

We're quiet for a very long time, eyes squinting out into the darkness. "I'm worried about her."

"Prim?" Rory nods and I sigh looking at him quickly. "We'll find her. She's a smart girl, she can get through this."

My brother nods, "I know. I'm just... I don't know what or who these people are. We don't... we don't know what they're capable of, Gale. We don't know what they're going to do to her, or any of them."

I nod my head at my brother as I hear footsteps from behind me. Katniss and Vick. "Everyone's fast asleep, be quiet when you go in." I nod and pass her the small gun I was holding just in case. Vick trades out with Rory and we pad into the room quickly. I squint around the room to find my mother and sister. I scowl when I find Posy close to Undersee. My scowl deepens when I see that Undersee is very close to the other guy, Fleet, Delly's brother.

Rory and I collapse onto the ground, and within minutes, he's fast asleep, snoring lightly. I stay awake much longer, listening to the soft breathing of everyone in the room.

* * *

I wake before the crack of dawn. I can tell that something's wrong. I stand quickly and shove the thin blanket I was using into a bag. Quickly, I kick Rory's foot. "Get up. Something's wrong." Rory wakes quickly and we start piling things into the truck. When I go back in, everyone is slowly waking up. Katniss immediately marches over to me.

"What's going on?"

"I think they're going to be able to find us. Everything is unusually quiet in the forest. You know that it's not normally like that. Besides," I jerk my head to the empty spot, "Brutus is gone. He's going to give us away."

Katniss curses under her breath. "We gotta move." I nod.

"Alright, everyone, we gotta get out of here. They're going to be coming for us." That puts everyone into motion. Within minutes, everything we need has been piled into the truck and very slowly, we drive away and over the hill where they won't be able to see us. We cover up the tire tracks by dusting it out and then keep driving.

It's good we moved when we did, because within minutes, the lake house is overrun. I have to yank Dough Boy back down from trying to run back and get whatever is left.

"Be quiet!" I hiss, holding the gun I have out. Everyone has one ready, even Undersee, which really surprises me. Posy hides behind Vick. The lake house is on fire.

Doors slam.

And then I hear a voice, on a megaphone.

"Boys,"

My eyes widen and I have to hold Rory back, "Dad," he murmurs and I nod, swallowing thickly, my jaw clenching.

"Boys, if you're out there, I... I want to say that I love you. You and your Ma and Posy. I love all of you." I glance down the line and I see my mother biting back her tears, "I miss you all. And I need you to know that whatever happens, I want you to blow these assholes to pieces. Keep fighting for this." My father pauses and I peek over the hill to find him standing tall and strong. "These terrorists want to find a way to destroy this district, as well as the others. Do not stop fighting them. You have to keep fighting against this. Do _not_ let them win."

I'm able to look up as one of the guys in the creepy white suits holds a gun to his head. "I'd advise coming out of your hiding place now." No one in our group moves. "So be it."

A gunshot echoes throughout the forest.

I lunge at Rory and cup my hand over his mouth to keep him from screaming. I hold him back and look up slightly.

My father is dead. My heart has been ripped out of my chest.

He's laying on the ground.

Dead.

My father is dead.

Tears burn in my eyes, but I do not let them fall. I will not let my family see me cry. I refuse.

My mom is biting her tears back as well. Posy cries into Undersee's shoulder. Vick stares straight ahead, biting his lip so much that it bleeds.

I hear the trucks drive away and the crackle of the fire. Slowly, I look up and blink away the tears in my eyes.

They're gone.

And so is my father.

* * *

It's another hour before anyone says anything.

I'm the first one to stand. "We have to keep on the move. We're not staying here. We're going to fight back. They messed with the wrong family." Rory stands next, nodding grimly. And then Vick. Posy and Ma. Katniss, Peeta and Undersee. Delly and her brother, Fleet. That's all of us. "C'mon. I know an abandoned train tunnel we can crash in."

And without speaking, I become the leader of our little group.

We move the truck to the place I had suggested and we begin unloading. Somehow, we've managed to get a small amount of material that could help us along the way.

It's later that night when I finally manage to sneak away from them and sit in a small opening a good distance from the group. I suck in a sharp breath and swipe under my eyes.

I whip my head around and point my gun when I hear a twig snap. I let out another breath when I see Undersee.

"What the hell are you doing?" I growl, throwing the gun down.

She shrugs as she sits next to me. "Wanted to make sure you were alright."

I raise a brow and scowl. "I'm fine."

Undersee's quiet for a little bit. "You're not the only one who lost a parent today, y'know."

"I don't need your fucking sympathy, Undersee."

"I wasn't trying to give it to you, _Hawthorne_," she spits out, rolling her eyes. I look over at the woman next to me. "All I wanted to say is that I'm sorry. Okay?"

My response is a grunt and she heaves a sigh and stands back up, stalking away. I glance back and watch her disappear back into the woods along the train tracks to our camp. I groan, why the hell did Katniss have to grab her? I mean, I'm all for saving people, but Undersee is very hard to deal with, and it's only been 24 hours since this all went to shit.

I wipe my face once more before trekking back to our camp. Rory has put himself in charge. "So... since we obviously need supplies, I say we watch what's going on in the district for a couple days, and then see what we can do. Sound good?"

The small group nods slowly, and the next morning, we put our plan into action. We send groups of three out every two hours to monitor the district by looking over the hill that leads into the district. We find out that people who resisted capture are in prisons, in tan jumpsuits. They get around by school buses and are always chained together. People who did not resist capture are free to roam about the district, under the watchful eye of the Capitol.

The Capitol has taken over. They have machines and weapons unknown to everyone, even me. I don't know what they are or what they can do. And it terrifies me. The Capitol soldiers, known as Peacekeepers, stand guard at every entrance into the district. Every person wishing to go into the district must undergo a screening of some sort.

It's odd that they're letting people in. Maybe they think that the District 12 people are weak because we are District 12. But that's where they're wrong. We're all a lot stronger than they think.

* * *

_A/N: I'm not sure if I'm going to continue this story, but tell me what you think?_


End file.
